Pumpkin Muffins

10/26/2022

During the catering busy season at Glorious Foods, seventy-hour work weeks were common. On the rare day off, several of my kitchen colleagues and I would meet for a late breakfast at Sarabeth’s, a popular Upper West Side restaurant known for its American cuisine. They also featured very good basic…

Apple Strudel

10/20/2022

I first tasted apple strudel on a post college graduation trip to Vienna, where it was among the memorable foods I tasted in the wonderful caf©s and restaurants. It is with the memory of that delightfully flaky, just sweet enough strudel, served on delicate china, in mind that I began…

A chocolate cake with white frosting and musical notes.

Mozart Torte

10/11/2022

Mozart Torte is one of my favorite and proudest creations, developed during the second season at Seven Layers. It consists of a nut and chocolate flaked butter sponge cake which is split and sandwiched with apricot jam, then enrobed in a bittersweet chocolate glaze. The flavor profile is rooted in…

Chocolate Roulade

10/06/2022

I’ve always been a fan of roulades, or cake rolls. Their unique shape offers a refreshing change from traditional round cakes, and they typically boast straightforward flavor profiles. Plus, they require minimal decoration, often just a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or cocoa. In creating my chocolate roulade, I extensively researched…

Pear Tarte Tatin

09/27/2022

My first exposure to Pear Tarte Tatin, was at Sign of the Dove in the 1990’s. I loved the dessert, but not the procedure, as I remember the pear slices would often be less than well-caramelized and occasionally stuck to the pan when unmolding. Years later while looking through Bistro…

Holiday Challah

09/21/2022

Traditional Friday evening Challah is a long loaf, formed from a three, four, or six-strand braid. An example of a basic three strand Challah is found in the initial Friday Baking Project blog on 8/7/2021. For the upcoming Rosh Hashana holiday, the beginning of the Jewish New Year, the shape…

Plum Torte 2022

09/12/2022

For many in the northeast, late summer/early fall baking always includes the simple, yet wonderful Plum Torte from Marian Burros of the New York Times. According to the paper, this recipe was printed annually from 1983 to 1989, and there was an uproar when they stopped. To pick up where…

Blueberry Tart

09/07/2022

With blueberry muffins a daily offering at Seven Layers, there were always plenty of blueberries around the shop. Wanting a new item for the pastry case toward the end of the first summer, I thought they could be put to use in a new dessert. Researching my favorite baking books,…